Canadian Tire Mastercraft DMM New and old revision teardown

[DIPLover]

I agree with Dave that the sweet spot is to own 4 DMMs, so you can measure current and voltage in and out of your circuit all at the same time.

I believe you need one really good meter, and can get away with using cheap, serviceable meters for the other three.

My good meter is a Fluke 177 which is an absolute dream, and I get my cheap meters from a (large) canadian hardware store chain.

Canadian Tire has a full range of meters (6 or 7), from the $5 analog meter to the $50 and $60 manual and auto-ranging DMMs.

The top-end item is the $60 3 3/4 digits, 4000 counts auto-ranging model, which has OK specs :
DV Volts : 4V to 1000V ranges, 0.8% +5 counts
AC Volts : 4V to 1000V ranges, 0.8% + 8 counts
DC Current : 400uA to 10A ranges, 1.2% +5 counts
AC Current : 400uA to 10A ranges, 1.2% + 8 counts
Resistance : 400R to 40MR ranges, 0.8% +5 counts
Frequency : 4Hz to 400KHz, 0.2% +3 counts
Duty cycle : 0.1 - 99.9%, 1.2% + 2 counts
Temperature : -32-500 C, 1% + 6 counts
Capacitance : 40nF to 100uF ranges, 2% + 5 counts

It has 2 fuses (500mA and 10A) and a large backlight display.

I have compared measurements with the Fluke and with a 6.5digit Agilent benchtop meter and they have always been well within specs.

I think they are Decent meters for $60, but the real deal is they get heavily discounted (40-60%) about 3 times a year, so I bought mine for 30, 35 and 25(!) dollars in consecutive years.

They recently changed the model completely, while retaining the same product number (52-0052-2).

The specs and button layout are the same so at first I tought it was only cosmetic, but the new model uses 2xAAA batteries instead of the usual 9V, so I was intrigued enough to crack it open and see how much had changed (BEFORE I put batteries in and turned it on... ).

Long story short : A LOT!.

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. The PCB is much neater now, but the hardware (rotary wheel mainly) feels a bit cheaper. Also, the old model had a real removable holster while the new one is sleeker with a rubberized case and no holster.

I like that they now have small leds on top to indicate where to plug the red lead for a given setting.
What I don't like, is they now are rated for 20A with a disclaimer in a microscopic font that states that 20A should not be applied for more than 15 seconds in a given 30 minute period. That's BULLSHIT. Nothing in the meter's construction indicate it can withstand double the current from the older model. Shame on you marketing assholes, some dumb blocke is gonna get hurt because of this shit.

/rantover


 

[retiredcaps]

Thanks for taking apart the meters and sharing the pics.  As a fellow Canadian, I'm interested in seeing the insides of the newer models.

The Mastercraft branded multimeters sold at Canadian Tire are made by Colluck.  See

http://www.colluck.com.hk/diyhp/9359/enus/l25520-0/Multimeters.html

The 52-0052-2 has undergone many iterations.  My friend has an even earlier version which uses two AAA batteries.

PS. The packaging for even the cheapest Mastercraft multimeter all have the UL symbol.

[edpalmer42]

I bought this meter a few years ago at Canadian Tire for about $10 on sale.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mastercraft-digital-multimeter-0520060p.html

For some reason I was using it with a large series resistor as a voltage divider, but the readings I was getting didn't make any sense.  I finally realized that the input resistance is only 1 Mohm instead of 10 Mohm!  Not a problem, just something to keep in mind!

Ed

[retiredcaps]

BTW, what is the part number of IC1 on the new version of the meter?  I can't quite make it out in the photos?

[DIPLover]

Just wanted to confirm I had paid $25 for the new version this past weekend.

And $10 with gas... I wish we had that deal here!

[BlueBill]

DIPLover, where did you get the Atlas ESR tester?

[poot36]

I have the old version of this meter (with 9V battery) that I have jumpered the 10A fuse with a screw and nut and can confirm that it will read upto 40A! (after that it displays ol (over load))  with the stock probes when testing a old 6 cell (2 parallel 3 series) li-ion laptop battery.  The only major problem that I have had is the capacitor tester function not working occasionally (have to wiggle and push down on the dial).  Another thing to watch out for is when the 9V battery gets down to around 3.5V to 3V the meter will start to act up.  The diode mode will only read up to 1V but will actually put out 1.3V or so so you cannot test LEDs (except maybe IR ones) with it.  It is also camping proof as well (great for checking fridge temp as well as deep cycle battery voltage and charging current solar or vehicle).  Also the temperature probe is liquid proof but watch out for the heat shrink on the end so that it does not come off (it may still be in our cars automatic transmission I don't know, I do know the car still works).

[DIPLover]

DIPLover, where did you get the Atlas ESR tester?

I bought it last year from ABRA Electronics, a local shop in Montréal.
http://abra-electronics.com/peak.html?currency=CAN

Unfortunately, our money has morphed into Canadian Tire currency since then so the prices went up a bit.
I paid $155 at the time.

[BlueBill]

It's $174 CDn now, more than all your Mastercraft meters combined 

[HammerJoe]

Is the new model a decent multimeter or should I stay away from it?
Its going to be on sale this weekend and I am thinking of getting one.

[retiredcaps]

Is the new model a decent multimeter or should I stay away from it?
Its going to be on sale this weekend and I am thinking of getting one.

I don't own this Canadian Tire(CT)  multimeter so I can't comment first hand, but based on the photos and some other factors, I would say it would be difficult to find something else in the $27 CDN + taxes ($59.99 CDN MSRP at 55% off discount).

Here are some comments on why $27 CDN + taxes could be a good deal for potential Canadian buyers.  Those not living in Canada will see a snapshot of the current environment.

On the plus side.

1) With the Canadian dollar at 79 cents on April 9, 2015 (compared to $1 USD), you will be paying more buying multimeters off ebay which is usually priced in USD dollars.

2) Buying a multimeter from ebay with free shipping from China takes 30 days or more to arrive and you may receive a bad/DOA one.  Who pays return shipping?  What happens if the multimeter is faulty after 30 days?  Is there warranty?  Remember free shipping from China to Canada does not mean Canada to China will be free or even economically feasible if the seller insists on a tracking number and signature.

3) Buying a bad/DOA multimeter from CT means going back to the store and getting a refund/replacement.  The multimeter according to the website states "This product carries a 1 year exchange warranty redeemable at any Canadian Tire store."  Check your local CT for terms and conditions as they may vary in different stores or provinces.

4)  As for the multimeter itself, there is a PTC, MOV and possibly a small power resistor for input protection on the volts/ohms input jack.  For the current jacks, there are two ceramic fuses.  It probably meets it CAT II rating, except for the fuses, given what I observed wrt to protection.

5) Compared to the older model, it looks like they reduced the number of components and calibration pots.  This could result in better reliability and long term accuracy and precision?

6) The leds are useful to remind newbies where to put in the probes.

7) For $27 CDN + tax, you get a lot of features like capacitance, temperature and frequency.

8] You are highly unlikely to find a name brand multimeter like Fluke, Agilent, etc for $30 used in working condition.  After 5 years of looking on kijiji, I have only seen 3 used Fluke multimeters sell for under $30 (Fluke 75, Fluke 23 and Fluke 12).

On the negative side.

1) The fonts are tiny due to bilingual requirements for Canada.

2) I think the older black on white text/lettering is easier to read than the newer white on black, but some would disagree.

3) The probes are likely to be crappy and highly unlike to survive 20A going through it without melting or catching fire?

4) The temperature functionality requires one probe in the uA/mA jack.

Note to NON Canadians.  There is very little choice in terms of brick and mortor/online for multimeters.  The big stores like Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc carry multimeters but usually at full retail CDN price and rarely go on sale.  In addition, they are overpriced compared to the USA counterparts even when the CDN $ was at parity with the USD $.  For example, the cheap 830 sells for $15 CDN at Wal-Mart.  At Harbor Freight USA, you can usually get if free or on sale for $2.99 USD.

Buying multimeters from USA sellers (either ebay or online stores) yields more selection, but priority shipping + tracking number + signature can exceed $30 not including any customs taxes/fees.  In addition, FedEx and UPS may charge a "brokerage" fee of $35 or more for doing the customs clearance/paperwork.

Anything over $20 CDN via postal/courier is subject to customs fees/duties in Canada.  An excerpt.

https://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/manual/pgcustoms-e.asp#1382719

Customs duties and taxes
The CBSA collects provincial sales taxes (PST) on most taxable imports valued at over $20CDN entering Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. The CBSA also collects Harmonized Sales Taxes (HST) on most taxable imports entering Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Ontario.

A handling fee of $9.95CDN per dutiable or taxable mail item is applied. This fee is in line with the government’s efforts to help recover costs from those who benefit from services, and is similar to arrangements in the United States and other countries.

[Bud]

I have a Flike 87 V on my electronic bench but I was looking for a second lower grade multimeter for around the house work. Conveniently Canadian Tire put Mastercraft  052-0052-2 on sale this week so I went and bought one. Gosh, it was only CAD 25 sale price, which after tax is equivalent to about USD 23. As it turned out after my quick testing, it was a hell of a deal, even though it had its share of corners cut.

Overall build quality is very good for the price. Quality of plastic is OK to me. The halves of the casing are well molded, even though there were some minor blemished around the perimeter where they connect. The stand is somewhat flimsy though. It does the job but flexed too much on the bench as I was pushing buttons and operated the selector switch. I have a feeling it may break at some point.

This multimeter has curved casing and it is noticeably lighter then Fluke 87-V. It was much nicer feeling holding it in hand than 87-V. It is also a bit smaller. In terms of thickness it seems to be slightly bigger than 87-V. With the stand the tilt angle is smaller than 87-V and about 45 degrees, but in fact I liked it better, I never understood Fluke 87-V standing almost vertically on the bench. Also after checking the viewing angles it appears the tilt angle is actually optimal for the operator in sitting position and MC multimeter on the bench with the stand engaged. Pictures are attached below.

Backlight is pleasant with the LED color similar to Fluke 87-V. But turning backlight on/off is a bit akward because the same button activates Hold function. So you push the Hold/Backlight button for a sec and the backlight LED turns on but at the same time Hold function gets enabled, so you need to momentary press the same button again to disable Hold. Same thing when turning backlight off. Somewhat annoying.

The multimeter I got was a dual AAA battery model. Batteries were not included, so I opened the battery cover to install my own pair. Right off the batt I noticed a fuse which was not sitting properly in the holder. One of the holder contacts was sort of bent. Closer look revealed that apparently the fuse contacts soldered too close to each other (poor PCB footprint?) so the fuse could not be put in place so they had to bent one of the contacts. And it appears there not much  can be done to fix that. A picture is attached below.
Next I put the batteries in and had a feeling that the battery holder plastic is thin and may break if not careful when will be changing batteries. Quality of the battery holder could be better.
I tried to put the battery cover in place and found it does not fit anymore. It was because there was a square block of rubber foam glued to the back of the battery cover to push on the battery holder to hold it in place (it was already attached to the PCB using a sticky tape). But for whatever reason that piece of foam was too big and you cant close the cover with the batteries installed. A picture is attached below. To rectify this issue I removed half of the foam thickness with a knife and the cover closed.

The display is nice and big. I like it. Backlight is nice. The buzzer is soft and I at first liked it (to my taste buzzer on Fluke 87-V is too loud), but after I turned on my bench power supply and a signal gen, the buzzer sound was masked by their fan noise, so on the bench  the buzzer would probably be too weak. It should be OK when doing work around the house though.

The test leads are usable around teh house but the probes made from hard plastic and the tips are not sharp. Also because it is hard plastic, the lead wires may eventually break. The wires are OK though, they are as silky smooth  as the probe wires on my 87-V but rated 80 degrees C. I have a spare pair of Fluke test leads and I used them to test this multimeter.

I will post next some test results how the multimeter tracked my Fluke 87-V and my bench HP 3456A.

Pros:
- good accuracy in tested modes: DC voltage, DC mA/uA current, Resistance (AC not tested)
- nice backlight
- big display digits !!
- soft wires on probe leads
- very good value for the price
- feels good in hand
- fairly light

Cons:
- selector switch somewhat clunky
- backlight function is awkward, coupled with the Hold button
- while probes wires are nice, probes themselves could be better (plastic and tips)
- weak buzzer
- weak stand
- small print fonts and somewhat confusing location of button annotations
- battery fuse holder seems to be improperly soldered, so the fuse does not sit properly.

In general, I'd say it is a very good multimeter for the value (heck, only USD 23 for its good accuracy). So if you are in Canada see if you want to drop by your local Canadian Tire store and grab one while it is on sale.

[SeanB]

Panasonic branded batteries, those I see here are not exactly the best advert for Panasonic, seeing as they only last a month in a wall clock, and a week in the one with continuous sweep.

In a DMM they probably will last the usable life of the meter.......

[Bud]

That is right, not the best batteries, just had a spare pack of them handy, bought I think for a $1 for a pack of 4 at a dollar store for my LED flashlight. I will replace with a decent pair of batteries to avoid changing them for as long as possible, as I said the battery holder plastic is not of best quality so better not touch it.

Anyway, I've ran the meter against Fluke 87-V on DC volts and uA/mA. This Mastercraft multimeter agreed with 87-V  well, especially on DC volts. Pictures are attached below for measuring 1V DC and 1mA DC.

Other measurements :

- resistance was tested against Fluke 87-V and HP3456A

R      Mastercraft   Fluke     HP
=====================================
1 Ohm    0.9        1.0        1.04
10 Ohm   10.0       10.0       10.08
100K     100.3K     99.99K     99.94K
1M       1.046M     1.04M      1.038M

- Frequency was tested using a HP8656B synthesized signal generator as the source.

F       Mastercraft    Fluke
==============================
100kHz      99.98      100.00

Sensitivity,  1.3       0.09
V p-p

Mastercraft meter was off a bit but well within specification. However its sensitivity was 1.3V peak-to-peak which is OK for digital circuits but may be insufficient for analog stuff. Fluke in this regard was more than an order of magnitude better. As to me I never use multimeters to measure frequency, so this function is not important to me.

- Capacitance was tested using a 39pF ceramic disk capacitor, 1000pF polypropylene cap, and a 100uF aluminum electrolytic cap.

F       Mastercraft    Fluke
==============================
39pF      0.045 nF     0.04 nF
1.0 nF    1.128 nF     1.00 nF
100uF     101.1        97.8

Mastercraft's meter readings of capacitance seemed to be on high side vs Fluke, but I do not have another meter to reference the test capacitors.

The meter also has LEDs by V/A test sockets, indicating where you should connect the test leads depending on the selected measurement mode. This may be of a help to a beginner. I do not need it and it was more of a worry that the LEDs consume extra battery power.

Overall I am happy with the meter, it is pretty accurate except for may be some more demanding work on the bench, and it was bought as a grab and go tool for working around the house. And heck, hard to beat it for USD $23.

[HammerJoe]

Great reviews so far that seem to confirm that its a decent device and the sale was a great deal.

For those that got one can you please confirm something about the screen?

I got one and the screen when looked in a certain way has a yellowish tint on the top right of the screen, its like that are got alot of heat.

I thought it was a defect and it was bothering me (the numbers were fine) so I took it back and replaced it another and it has the same thing.
I checked it at the store and didnt see it.

This second one also when I use the backlit function it looks like a tiny bit of the screen is dirty for lack of a better word.
The numbers display fine so I guess I will just have to learn to ignore it.

[Bud]

I checked mine after 10min and could not see any tint on the screen.

[HammerJoe]

Here's two pics of the halo effect on mine. I had it replaced and this one has the same display so it's either normal or I'm just unlucky.
It's nothing major but it's one of these things that once you see it you can't unsee it.


And then the other one that's visible when the backlight is on where the V is displayed

[Bud]

Did you take the halo picture in daylight of electric light? You sure it is on the lcd and not on the internal side of acrylic cover?

[macboy]

Well, this is currently (to end of today) on sale for $25 CDN so I thought maybe I'd buy one. Then I thought, the last thing I need is another multimeter. So I bought one.

The physical build quality isn't so great. The input jacks are poorly made and are not on standard spacing, so things like BNC-banana adapters won't fit. This meter will never see mains voltage nor anything over 100 VDC on my bench, but it has its uses.

The specs on the package indicate 4000-count ranges: 4 V, 40 V, etc., but actually this is a 6000 count meter (6200 to be precise), so the ranges are 6 V, 60 V, etc. I guess they didn't update the specs when they updated the meter.

I quickly tested the 6V, 60 V, 600 uA, and 6 mA ranges, and all agree to within 2 counts (at full scale) with my Keithley 2001 7.5 digit meter(s). The math will show you that the overall error is less than 0.05%. This is very impressive for a device so cheap it is practically disposable. Capacitance readings are within a few % of my DE-5000 (tested a 470 uF and a 47 nF cap), not too bad. This was in a nice comfy 21 degC room; outside in the heat or cold, the accuracy may not be so good.

The frequency counter works all the way to 15 MHz (limit of my function generator) with just 800 mV_RMS input. That is truly impressive; most multimeters will not measure that high. It displays up to 9999 count before up-ranging.

The AC volts measurement is - almost unbelievably - True RMS! And accurate! 1 V_RMS measured at 1 V_RMS. Amazing. Unfortunately, the frequency response starts to roll off rapidly after 1 kHz. This means that even True RMS readings need to be taken with a grain of salt since it isn't responding to anything remotely high frequency. But indeed, a 100 Hz, 1 V_RMS triangle wave measures as exactly the same voltage (within 1 count) as a 100 Hz, 1 V_RMS sine wave. Another cheap meter that I know is not true RMS showed about 980 mV.

I also picked up the K type thermocouple probe designed for this meter. It seems to be within a few degrees agreement to the Keithley 2001 using a type T thermocouple over 0 C to 350 C. The Keithley has sophisticated processing that linearizes the thermocouple readings to within a fraction of a degree.

The specification for the capacitance measurement tells us it goes up to 100 if, which is on part with a cheapy multimeter cap test. However, I can confirm that it measures up to 60000 uF. That is not a typo: sixty thousand microfarad. My trust B+K goes up to "only" 50000, and it takes much longer to return a reading at those high ranges. This one returns the first reading within around just 5 or 6 seconds.

I will update as I test more.

[Paul Moir]

Canadian Tire is a bit wise to cheap multimeters I think:  a couple years ago they recalled one of their meters.  Unfortunately this was a inexpensive little DC & AC clamp meter.  It looks like it was some fault in the voltage measurement range which did it in.  Wish they wouldn't even bother with those on clamp meters. 

Thanks for the heads up, I think I'll run out and grab one to replace my old (pre CAT) DMM which I managed to blow the current source out of.

[HammerJoe]

Did you take the halo picture in daylight of electric light? You sure it is on the lcd and not on the internal side of acrylic cover?

The first pic was taken in daylight and to see have to manouver the dmm just right to see it in full glory. The second picture its only visible with the backlight on.

And yes its on the LCD because the digits bars cover it so its underneath it.

No biggie, I just have to learn to ignore it.



Thank you Macboy for your tests. It seems that this is a good deal afterall for $25.00.

[retiredcaps]

BTW, what is the part number of IC1 on the new version of the meter?  I can't quite make it out in the photos?

I'm still curious what this IC1 is if someone takes theirs apart?

[Bud]

Thanks for the heads up, I think I'll run out and grab one

They also have (eev)blogger knife

http://m.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/yukon-gear-x-large-bowie-knife-9-in-0753516p.html
 

[Paul Moir]

BTW, what is the part number of IC1 on the new version of the meter?  I can't quite make it out in the photos?

I'm still curious what this IC1 is if someone takes theirs apart?

DTM0660L

Full markings:
H208
DTM0660L
R414K.B

Google says have a look at this:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/new-trms-uni-t-ut139c-dmm-is-available-now/30/
Which says it's a Hycon HY12P65 http://www.hycontek.com/e-page2-HY12P.html


J8 goes to the TST/EUART RC/Psomthign so maybe for calibration?  Gotta trace out the EUART TX...


Damn, forgot to pick up the knife too.   

[Paul Moir]

Hey, this thing is pretty awesome for a cheapy, and I should know, I've owned an awful lot of cheapies. 

The LEDs are awesome.  No one bats 1000 and I know the little "LEADS" display on my Fluke has saved my fuses a number of times.  If you don't have a probe in the correct socket, a little light next to the socket lights up.  If you have it in the wrong socket, it beeps at you.  Almost as good as that Gossen Metrawatt.  Oh how I wish this thing was rated more than CAT II:  it could be a great field meter.
The LEDs and alarm are activated by little switches that contact the shrouds.  Unfortunately the LED burns about 1.5ma, so it'll knock back battery life a bit if you're using unshrouded banana jacks.  I measured about 2.2 mA measuring / 3.7mA with LED.  Course backlight and beeper consume more and some ranges are different. 
Continuity and Diode measuring voltage checked as 3.2V, which is great for me because my Fluke 175 is a LV CMOS destroying 7.5v.
Backlight works I guess.  I still don't get why multimeters have them, but whatev.
Hold is the typical useless type.  It'll even hold a blank screen while autoranging for you!
Continuity is near perfect.  The Fluke can catch shorter transients but this one is pretty darn fast. 
Input impedance of this model appears to be 11Mohm - manual claims 10Mohm. 
Amps default to DC as God intended.
Update rate is pretty snappy; got to be 10Hz or maybe more?


Not so good:
The uA range has a 100 ohm shunt so I guess 100mV/mA?
No mV range.
No bargraph.  You don't get a bargraph for 24.99. 
EUART TX goes into IC2, which appears to be an amplifier for the beeper and LEDs.  No data on it I'm afraid.
J8 when jumpered puts the meter into CAL mode.
Case *almost* fits AA batteries.  Pretty obvious the mold was made to use a 9v battery. 

Can't say more about accuracy than what macboy said with his excellent equipment.  I get a bit of a mismatch on the TRMS with a square wave, but sine and triangle are very good.  Also I noticed when at lower voltages (~1v or less) the freqency will drop out if there's some DC offset + or -.  Seems fine at 2v.  No big deal though.
Meter beeps 2 beeps when started with the backlight switch down, and 5 beeps with the multifunction switch held down.  Haven't figured out the function yet though.
(EDIT holding the backlight switch at start *may* turn off the auto-backlight-off.)

[retiredcaps]

DTM0660L

Thanks for that information and your comments.  If I didn't already have more meters than I need/want, I probably would have picked one of these up.  Maybe next time when it goes on sale again, I might be tempted again.  I'm a sucker for multimeters that use AA or AAA cells. 

[Paul Moir]

Yeah, well when you're knee deep in yellow meters, why would you look around for something else? 

[retiredcaps]

Yeah, well when you're knee deep in yellow meters, why would you look around for something else? 

Well, macboy made a convincing argument.  The other reason for getting one is I only recommend meters that I have used or own.  I can't honestly tell people to buy one if I don't have any hands on experience as I mentioned in post #11.

Well, this is currently (to end of today) on sale for $25 CDN so I thought maybe I'd buy one. Then I thought, the last thing I need is another multimeter. So I bought one.

[Paul Moir]

Yeah, I see your point. 
I also don't want to seem like I'm coming down from Mt Sinai with this thing here either.  I think you can get a UT-61E for only a few bucks more than the normal price of this meter, and I think they finally got around to responsible CAT ratings and what not?  Never mind the greater functionality.  This thing is a nasty cheap meter.  But it's got it's moments, is c/UL/US approved, and at $25 Canadian pesos (to borrow a phrase) it's a real deal.

[macboy]

Yeah, I see your point. 
I also don't want to seem like I'm coming down from Mt Sinai with this thing here either.  I think you can get a UT-61E for only a few bucks more than the normal price of this meter, and I think they finally got around to responsible CAT ratings and what not?  Never mind the greater functionality.  This thing is a nasty cheap meter.  But it's got it's moments, is c/UL/US approved, and at $25 Canadian pesos (to borrow a phrase) it's a real deal.

This one has what I believe to be a perfectly responsible CAT rating: CAT II 1000VDC/750VAC. Now, CAT II is nothing to write home about, but that's the point. It is believable, unlike those "CAT IV 600V" ratings on so many cheapies.  This CAT II meter has fuses on all current ranges, and they appear to be HRC, and are specified to have multi-kA breaking current in the manual. I can see at least a PTC and a MOV  inside, more than what is found those supposedly CAT IV meters. The combination of LEDs and warning beeper is a nice addition that will help prevent you from doing an "oopsie" measurement of mains voltage across the current shunt. This will certainly help to prevent the testing of the quality of those fuses. But in any case they should be good enough for measuring an inherently limited energy CAT II circuit. If you did that oopsie on a CAT IV high energy circuit ... nice to have known you.

[macboy]

Hey, this thing is pretty awesome for a cheapy, and I should know, I've owned an awful lot of cheapies. 
...
Hold is the typical useless type.  It'll even hold a blank screen while autoranging for you!

You are lucky to get a Hold function on a cheapie. I used it when comparing measurements between multiple meters (testing the same cap or resistor).

Input impedance of this model appears to be 11Mohm - manual claims 10Mohm. 

11 MOhm is common on some ranges especially the higher ones, as an extra resistor is added to the bottom of the 10 MOhm divider. If you check on a lower voltage range, you will likely see 10 MOhm (I haven't verified).

Not so good:
The uA range has a 100 ohm shunt so I guess 100mV/mA?

So on the 600.0 uA range, full scale burden voltage is only 60 mV? Not bad at all. Once again we are lucky to get a uA range at all for the price... and it's very accurate.

No mV range.

That's what I thought too. Actually it does have a 600 mV range, it just won't auto-range to it. Press the range button a few times and you will find it.

EUART TX goes into IC2, which appears to be an amplifier for the beeper and LEDs.  No data on it I'm afraid.

I am almost certain that I saw "24C02" with some prefix on that SOIC-8 IC2. That would make it an EEPROM. That's what I had assumed it would be so I didn't pay too much attention. I'll check again later.

[Bud]

Did you take the halo picture in daylight of electric light? You sure it is on the lcd and not on the internal side of acrylic cover?

The first pic was taken in daylight and to see have to manouver the dmm just right to see it in full

Ok i finally could see some tint if i stay by the window and "have my tongue at the right  angle"  ,though seems to be less pronounced then in your photo. Not visible in electric light.

[macboy]

FWIW, there is no issue with the LCD on mine. The contrast is good, but only when looking straight on or lower. If the view angle is from above, the contrast fades significantly.

[Bud]

Same here, with backlight on the view angle from above fades even faster.

[Paul Moir]

Oh I didn't mean to say that this one didn't meet it's CAT rating:  this one seems to meet the claimed CAT II to me, and apparently UL thinks so too.  And I doubt it's phoney given the amount of electrical gear CT brings in from China.  They must be wise to that.  I meant UNI-T might be worth considering they're not being so immoral anymore.  Also the LEDs:  I agree, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Root cause analysis:  why did he blow his arm off? dummy had the leads in the wrong sockets.  Why did he have the leads in the wrong sockets?   Dummy I guess.  Good enough for Fluke!   

10M confirmed on the lower ranges.  That makes sense, thanks!  Much better than the previously reported 1M which must have been an older model?

60mV:  I failed to do the math or even a ballpark estimate.  100mV/mA *sounds* like a lot, doesn't it? 
I'm very glad to have this function.  It's a big deal to me too.

mV Range:  Awesome, I completely missed that.  But I'm only seeing it on AC.  I'll have to play around a bit more.

IC2 - Meant U2, on mine it's the unlabelled chip below J8.  I'm sorta guessing it's a transistor array and that R29-30 are base resistors between it and IC1.  I do want to hunt a little bit more around on this thing.  Oddly the LED on the V/OHM/etc input socket is different from the ones on the current input sockets.  It has a clear lens while the others are red....

Oh, speaking of which, not much to report from the other side of the PCB.  4MHz crystal for the controller and not much else.  I took a photo if anyone cares, but there's not much to see.

[macboy]

My previous post updated including testing big caps (as in sixty thousand microfarad big).

[macboy]

I pulled a 66.6666 MHz oscillator from a junk box just to see if this thing would measure it. "66.68 MHz" on the display.   I was almost amazed. Sure it said 66.68 not 66.67, but to be fair, the oscillator frequency does shift with supply voltage and I was just hitting it with 5-point-something Volts. Then I pulled my old HP pulse generator from under the bench and set it up. The limit seems to be around 73 MHz.

The specifications on the package tell us that this meter will measure frequency up to 100 kHz. We've done nearly 3 orders of magnitude better. For capacitance as well, spec says up to 100 uF, but I measured nearly 60000 uF.

[Haplo]

Just a heads up for anyone else that wanted to buy this. This will be on sale from $29.99 (50% off) from August 14th to August 20th. I was waiting for this to go down and had it price warning turned on it for it and got an email just now.

[Connecteur]

I just bought this unit from Canadian Tire, and I think I know why they are blowing them out so cheap. They are probably getting massive returns of this item.  It doesn't say anywhere that batteries aren't included on the package or in the manual.  This leads the average buyer to conclude that it's probably a defective unit, and should be returned.  After all, it's rare for a DMM to come without a battery installed.

I was almost fooled myself; I decided to test it before I left the store parking lot, and saw that it didn't turn on. I looked in the manual to see if there were any special first-time use instructions regarding batteries, but there were none to be found.  It seemed unlikely that such a product would come without batteries, but I opted to look for a small screwdriver and I unscrewed the battery door. Inside, there were no batteries, so I went back in the store and bought some AAAs, and put them in.  It seemed to work perfectly.  All things being equal, I think this is a fabulous deal at $29.

[retiredcaps]

I just bought this unit from Canadian Tire, and I think I know why they are blowing them out so cheap.

They regularly go on sale for 50% or more.  Even at 50%, they are making money.

All things being equal, I think this is a fabulous deal at $29.

It is a good deal for Canadians because we don't have a lot of brick mortar choice for multimeters.  For many of us, we pass a Canadian Tire store on the way to work, school, errands, etc.  Canadian Tire also has a very generous return policy so if you don't like it or it breaks, we get our money back.

The name brands like Fluke, Agilent, etc all sell for CDN MSRP and with the weak CDN $$$, it is a lot of money for the hobbyist.  The same no name crappy meters that sell for $3 USD in the USA are sold here in Canada for $15 CDN.

[retiredcaps]

It seemed unlikely that such a product would come without batteries,

I can think of a few reasons why batteries are not included.

1) save cost
2) possible regulations prohibit shipping of batteries
3) AAA cells might leak due to cheap brand/poor build quality and/or expire between time of manufacture and sell date
4) prevent people from turning on the multimeter and purposely leaving it on in the store (yes, there are people like that), thus draining the battery and possibly causing it to leak
5) liability - prevents people from "testing" the multimeter by plugging it into a Canadian Tire store outlet while the range select is set to mA or A

[SkyMaster]

It seemed unlikely that such a product would come without batteries,

I can think of a few reasons why batteries are not included.

1) save cost

It has to be to save cost, and make more profit by "forcing" the buyer to buy name brand batteries off the shelf.

Even when on sale at 50%, Canadian Tire is probably still making a profit in the neighborhood of 80% on these products.

Canadian Tire could sell quality DMM and still make a profit, but Canadian Tire decided to sell bottom of the barrel quality DMM in order to make even more profit.


Nothing wrong buying these when someone has only a small budget for a DMM, but these DMM look like extreme low quality even when they are still in their plastic blister.

[saturation]

Those are decent CATII safe meters at the sale price.  The UL marks are easy to confirm.   Note safe does not imply functional, reliable or accurate.

52-0052-2

http://database.ul.com/cgi-bin/XYV/template/LISEXT/1FRAME/showpage.html?name=PICQ.E228905&ccnshorttitle=Measuring,+Testing+and+Signal-generation+Equipment&objid=1075935173&cfgid=1073741824&version=versionless&parent_id=1073991173&sequence=1

FWIW UL is the most expensive of the NRTL labs, less manufacturers use them today, even Fluke just uses CSA.

E.g. costs to certify:

http://www.seldirect.com/ratebudget.html

[Paul Moir]

Canadian Tire could sell quality DMM and still make a profit, but Canadian Tire decided to sell bottom of the barrel quality DMM in order to make even more profit.

You should actually try one before condemning it.  It's a great little meter for the price.  I've seen a lot worse for a lot more money.  You may be right and it's a loss-leader, but that's a common retail practice and nothing to get wound up about.

Thanks for the heads-up, I think I'll get a second one.  Last time all the local stores were sold out, except one where they forgot to hang up the sale price tag.  They had a bunch. 

[SkyMaster]

Canadian Tire could sell quality DMM and still make a profit, but Canadian Tire decided to sell bottom of the barrel quality DMM in order to make even more profit.

You should actually try one before condemning it.  It's a great little meter for the price.  I've seen a lot worse for a lot more money.  You may be right and it's a loss-leader, but that's a common retail practice and nothing to get wound up about.

Thanks for the heads-up, I think I'll get a second one.  Last time all the local stores were sold out, except one where they forgot to hang up the sale price tag.  They had a bunch. 

I am not condemning them. I was actually impressed by the measurement results posted from macboy, a while ago.

I buy from Canadian Tire every week. Once I went to the DMM alley, the DMM were one sale. There was a bunch of them available. They all looked wrong; LCD display crooked in the case window opening, yellow paint incorrectly applied on the selector knob, etc.

I already have 10 DMM (handheld and Bench type), half of them bought used, yet I could not convinced myself to spend $30 (or so) on a 52-0052-2 DMM.

Again; Nothing wrong buying these when someone has only a small budget for a DMM.

[SkyMaster]

Those are decent CATII safe meters at the sale price.  The UL marks are easy to confirm.   Note safe does not imply functional, reliable or accurate.

52-0052-2

http://database.ul.com/cgi-bin/XYV/template/LISEXT/1FRAME/showpage.html?name=PICQ.E228905&ccnshorttitle=Measuring,+Testing+and+Signal-generation+Equipment&objid=1075935173&cfgid=1073741824&version=versionless&parent_id=1073991173&sequence=1

FWIW UL is the most expensive of the NRTL labs, less manufacturers use them today, even Fluke just uses CSA.

E.g. costs to certify:

http://www.seldirect.com/ratebudget.html

Thank you for posting these URL.

I wonder if it is possible to the Chinese manufacturers to get their approval in China from authorized certification labs. These Chinese labs rates would be significally lower.

[Paul Moir]

I think they do have labs all over, but perhaps labour isn't the big cost.   There's companies like Intertek (ETL mark, CSA & UL competitor) that do it apparently cheaper than both and are acreditied in Canada & US.

I'm not particularly price sensitive but for a couple toss around meters for the home workshop and cottage or various other places you say "I wish I had a meter for this...".   

[Kappes Buur]

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/tools-hardware/electrical-tools-accessories/electrical-supplies-parts/testers/mastercraft-deluxe-digital-volt-meter-0520055p.0520055.html#.Vc7ZP7R0fGJ

The sale started today. At that price I bought 2.
An interesting feature is, an LED lights up when the leads are either not attached or not inserted all the way.

[retiredcaps]

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/tools-hardware/electrical-tools-accessories/electrical-supplies-parts/testers/mastercraft-deluxe-digital-volt-meter-0520055p.0520055.html#.Vc7ZP7R0fGJ

Can you post some teardown pictures of this manual range meter for us please?

[Kappes Buur]

I hope these will do
Click on image for larger size

[saturation]

Welcome.  Yes, effectively all safety organizations have branches in China, given its manufacturing prowess and labor costs.  Any of the safety mark will do as they differ only in cost to the manufacturer, the test is standardized by the IEC.  If any organization fails to live up the standard, they will lose accreditation, testing is their business they have incentive not to be corrupt. 

UL remains more expensive and stricter,  UL may test to UL standards which were/are often stricter than IEC, which is good to see from a safety perspective. 

Thank you for posting these URL.

I wonder if it is possible to the Chinese manufacturers to get their approval in China from authorized certification labs. These Chinese labs rates would be significally lower.

I think they do have labs all over, but perhaps labour isn't the big cost.   There's companies like Intertek (ETL mark, CSA & UL competitor) that do it apparently cheaper than both and are acreditied in Canada & US.

I'm not particularly price sensitive but for a couple toss around meters for the home workshop and cottage or various other places you say "I wish I had a meter for this...".   

[Len]

Just a heads up for anyone else that wanted to buy this. This will be on sale from $29.99 (50% off) from August 14th to August 20th.

I couldn't resist, I picked one up. For $30 I'm quite pleased with it, except for the probes.

The probes are made of the crappy plastic they use for cheap toys, including sprue marks. They have a UL mark, but there's also a double-insulated symbol (square-in-a-square). Does that even make sense? I don't see how they can be double insulated, because obviously the probe tips are exposed.

[retiredcaps]

I hope these will do

Thanks for posting the pictures.  It is appreciated.

Compared to the auto ranging meter, the manual one sure uses a lot more components.  For example, there are electrolytic caps on the manual and none on the auto.  In addition, the manual meter has a PTC, but no MOV that I can see.

[ralphd]

I have the old version of this meter, which was reading voltages 0.6% to 0.7% high.  I figured out VR1 is the voltage trim pot and have it adjusted to within 0.1% now.
http://nerdralph.blogspot.ca/2015/08/calibrating-cheap-crappy-tire-multimeter.html

My biggest beef about the meter is the 1MOhm input resistance.  If they put the new one on their 60% off sales this fall I think I'll go for it.

[macboy]

I have the old version of this meter, which was reading voltages 0.6% to 0.7% high.  I figured out VR1 is the voltage trim pot and have it adjusted to within 0.1% now.
http://nerdralph.blogspot.ca/2015/08/calibrating-cheap-crappy-tire-multimeter.html

My biggest beef about the meter is the 1MOhm input resistance.  If they put the new one on their 60% off sales this fall I think I'll go for it.

The new one has 10 MOhm input at 60 V and higher ranges and 11 MOhm at 6 V and lower (both AC and DC). This is as measured, not from the spec sheet.

[ralphd]

The new one has 10 MOhm input at 60 V and higher ranges and 11 MOhm at 6 V and lower (both AC and DC). This is as measured, not from the spec sheet.

Have you noticed where the new one switches from 3 digits after the decimal place to two?  On the old one it is around 4V.  So I can measure a 3.3V source down to 1mV resolution, but I only get 10mV resolution at 5V.

[ralphd]

The new version looks like the Colluck HH0308C, rated 0.3% accuracy.
http://www.colluck.com.hk/diyhp/9359/enus/c-25520/p-AAASX6AAgAAB4SWAAM/6000_Count_Digital_Multimeter.html

And if that's right, the answer to my last question about the mV range is 6V.

[ralphd]

The new version looks like the Colluck HH0308C, rated 0.3% accuracy.
http://www.colluck.com.hk/diyhp/9359/enus/c-25520/p-AAASX6AAgAAB4SWAAM/6000_Count_Digital_Multimeter.html

It also looks like the HH2205D, 0.8% and 1mV resolution only up to 4V.
http://www.colluck.com.hk/diyhp/9359/enus/c-25520/p-AAASX6AAgAAB4SWAAf/Trms_Digital_Multimeter.html

[macboy]

The new version looks like the Colluck HH0308C, rated 0.3% accuracy.
http://www.colluck.com.hk/diyhp/9359/enus/c-25520/p-AAASX6AAgAAB4SWAAM/6000_Count_Digital_Multimeter.html

It also looks like the HH2205D, 0.8% and 1mV resolution only up to 4V.
http://www.colluck.com.hk/diyhp/9359/enus/c-25520/p-AAASX6AAgAAB4SWAAf/Trms_Digital_Multimeter.html

Yes, it looks similar to both but it is definitely 6000 count (see earlier posts in this thread) despite the specs which imply 4000 count as the old version had. To be really pedantic, it is 6200 count, so this means that you can measure up to 6.199 VDC with millivolt resolution. The accuracy (on mine) is much better than 0.3%, again see earlier posts.  Contrary to the Colluck specs, I have measured frequencies over 70 MHz (spec say 600 kHz) and capactiance over 60000 uF (specs say 100 uF).

[ralphd]

The new version looks like the Colluck HH0308C, rated 0.3% accuracy.
http://www.colluck.com.hk/diyhp/9359/enus/c-25520/p-AAASX6AAgAAB4SWAAM/6000_Count_Digital_Multimeter.html

It also looks like the HH2205D, 0.8% and 1mV resolution only up to 4V.
http://www.colluck.com.hk/diyhp/9359/enus/c-25520/p-AAASX6AAgAAB4SWAAf/Trms_Digital_Multimeter.html

Yes, it looks similar to both but it is definitely 6000 count (see earlier posts in this thread) despite the specs which imply 4000 count as the old version had. To be really pedantic, it is 6200 count, so this means that you can measure up to 6.199 VDC with millivolt resolution. The accuracy (on mine) is much better than 0.3%, again see earlier posts.  Contrary to the Colluck specs, I have measured frequencies over 70 MHz (spec say 600 kHz) and capactiance over 60000 uF (specs say 100 uF).

Thanks for clarifying.  Somehow I missed you April 17th post when I was reading through the thread.
Will definitely watch for the next time it goes on sale...

[ralphd]

Found it on 50% off sale for $30, so I bought the last one on the shelf at my local CT.
Some initial measurements with some TL431s suggest it is reading about 0.1 - 0.2% high for voltage.  Once I dig out my ref5050s I'll have a better handle on the accuracy.
I also confirmed (no surprise) that it is a 6000 count meter.  It's nice having 1mV precision when checking regulated 5V supplies.  I'll also appreciate the 10M input impedance.

Considering the current USD/CAD of 1.34, after 15% HST and conversion to USD, it's just $25.75. 

I don't know if anyone already mentioned it, but shorting the leads in temp mode seems to give an on-board temperature reading (instead of attaching a temperature probe, which I don't have).
The manual doesn't say what the probe is, but I have some 10K NTCs around somewhere I may test it with...

[ralphd]

Found it on 50% off sale for $30, so I bought the last one on the shelf at my local CT.
Some initial measurements with some TL431s suggest it is reading about 0.1 - 0.2% high for voltage.  Once I dig out my ref5050s I'll have a better handle on the accuracy.
I also confirmed (no surprise) that it is a 6000 count meter.  It's nice having 1mV precision when checking regulated 5V supplies.  I'll also appreciate the 10M input impedance.

Considering the current USD/CAD of 1.34, after 15% HST and conversion to USD, it's just $25.75. 

I don't know if anyone already mentioned it, but shorting the leads in temp mode seems to give an on-board temperature reading (instead of attaching a temperature probe, which I don't have).
The manual doesn't say what the probe is, but I have some 10K NTCs around somewhere I may test it with...

I just checked the diode Vf mode, and it seems to use a higher current than the old one.  Testing a 268 Ohm resistor showed a voltage of .491V, indicating a test current of 1.8mA.  The old meter used a test current in the 400-600uA range.

[macboy]

Found it on 50% off sale for $30, so I bought the last one on the shelf at my local CT.
Some initial measurements with some TL431s suggest it is reading about 0.1 - 0.2% high for voltage.  Once I dig out my ref5050s I'll have a better handle on the accuracy.
I also confirmed (no surprise) that it is a 6000 count meter.  It's nice having 1mV precision when checking regulated 5V supplies.  I'll also appreciate the 10M input impedance.

Considering the current USD/CAD of 1.34, after 15% HST and conversion to USD, it's just $25.75. 

I don't know if anyone already mentioned it, but shorting the leads in temp mode seems to give an on-board temperature reading (instead of attaching a temperature probe, which I don't have).
The manual doesn't say what the probe is, but I have some 10K NTCs around somewhere I may test it with...
[/quwill
Ha-ha, this meter is far more accurate than any TL431. You'll need a much better Vref to test accuracy. I compared against a trio of Keithley 2001 7.5 digit meters that agree within 3ppm of each other.

The temperature probe is a standard k type thermocouple. Presenting a short in lieu of the thermocouple will simulate a thermocouple that is at the same temperature as the reference junction, whether measured or just a fixed value. This is true of any device using a connected thermocouple.

[ralphd]

Some initial measurements with some TL431s suggest it is reading about 0.1 - 0.2% high for voltage.it with...

Ha-ha, this meter is far more accurate than any TL431. You'll need a much better Vref to test accuracy. I compared against a trio of Keithley 2001 7.5 digit meters that agree within 3ppm of each other.

Note I said some tl431s, not just one.  I have 100 0.3% rated TL431s, and have sampled over a dozen of them.  At 25C and 10mA current, the voltages vary by +- 0.22%.  Therefore those samples could be another 0.08% out and still be within the 0.3% spec.  Taking the average of the min and max voltage gives me a reference accurate to +- 0.08%.  Obviously not as good as the +- 0.5% REF5050, but pretty good for parts that cost <2c ea.

[ralphd]

Looks like I fried one of my REF5050s with a solder bridge between pins 1 & 2.     The datasheet doesn't say what happens when you connect the DNC (do not connect) pins, but clearly it's bad.  After removing the solder bridge and connecting 12V to Vin, I get ~4.24V at Vout. :-(

I also did the exact calculation against my tl431 measurements.  They suggest the meter is reading at least 0.02% high, and no more than 0.18% high.

[ralphd]

Anyway, I've ran the meter against Fluke 87-V on DC volts and uA/mA. This Mastercraft multimeter agreed with 87-V  well, especially on DC volts. Pictures are attached below for measuring 1V DC and 1mA DC.

Your 1.002V measurement puts it close to, but still within Colluck's 0.3% spec for the meter.  Macboy seems to have been a bit more lucky with the one he got.  I don't have a reference as good as either of you, but from the measurements I've made mine seems to be reading somewhere around 0.1% high.

[ralphd]

I'm not getting good measurements for low-value capacitors.  A couple of (I think) 22pf caps were reading between .120 and .135 nF.
No problems reading a 100nF and 220nF cap though.

[ralphd]

Just tested a batch of 10 0.1% 250 Ohm 1/4W resistors (5 band, purple tolerance code).
6 of them measured 250.5 Ohm, 3 measured 250.4, and 1 measured 250.6.  So for resistance, the meter seems a little high, but still within 0.2%.

[gardner]

I know I'm dredging up a very old thread here.  But it's interesting.  I bought one of these for the cottage and when I compared it to my Keithley 195A I was amazed at how accurate it was.  On sale for CAN $30 it is a really decent deal.

They are on sale again this week -- through 25-Feb-2016.

When I bought mine I also bought the K-type thermocouple that they sell for it.  The lead spacing on the adapter didn't fit the spacing on the meter so I returned it.  I expect it was meant for the old-style meter or something.

[macboy]

I know I'm dredging up a very old thread here.  But it's interesting.  I bought one of these for the cottage and when I compared it to my Keithley 195A I was amazed at how accurate it was.  On sale for CAN $30 it is a really decent deal.

They are on sale again this week -- through 25-Feb-2016.

When I bought mine I also bought the K-type thermocouple that they sell for it.  The lead spacing on the adapter didn't fit the spacing on the meter so I returned it.  I expect it was meant for the old-style meter or something.

I suspect you were expecting to use the V jack but in fact, temperature measurements use the mA jack. So the oddball wide spacing of the adapter is correct, and it fits between the two middle/bottom jacks.

[Bud]

I am still happy with mine. Could well be something EEVBlog may sell as an entry level meter.

[macboy]

I am still happy with mine. Could well be something EEVBlog may sell as an entry level meter.

I use mine on occasion, often for a secondary measurement in conjunction with a "better" meter.
They are a fantastic value at $30 especially with the CDN$ so low right now.

[l0rd_hex]

Anyone have issues with the temperature probe? Mine just cycles from 14C down to -105C and back to 14C again... I'm using a "CCL131200918" (a $25 special!).

[jesuscf]

Thank you very much for the tip!  I just picked one up from Canadian Tire for the advertised sale price.  I also had $12.05 in Canadian Tire money (mostly 0.05$ bills!) so after taxes and the recycling fee I ended up paying only CAN $22.09.  As many had said already, the Mastercraft 052-0052-2 is quite a nice multimeter from the measurements point of view.  The case quality and finish not so much...

By the way, the k-type thermocouple probe that came with the Brymen BM869s does not fit the Mastercraft inputs.  Time to make a probe with some k-type thermocuple wire and a couple of banana plugs!

I know I'm dredging up a very old thread here.  But it's interesting.  I bought one of these for the cottage and when I compared it to my Keithley 195A I was amazed at how accurate it was.  On sale for CAN $30 it is a really decent deal.

They are on sale again this week -- through 25-Feb-2016.

When I bought mine I also bought the K-type thermocouple that they sell for it.  The lead spacing on the adapter didn't fit the spacing on the meter so I returned it.  I expect it was meant for the old-style meter or something.

[jesuscf]

I just made a simple temperature probe with about five feet of k-type thermocouple wire and two banana plugs and connected it to the Mastercraft 052-0052-2.  I measured several temperatures both with the Mastercraft and the BM869s as shown in the attached pictures .  The measurements are very similar!  Assuming the BM869s is 100% correct, the Mastercraft is well withing the "+/- (3C+ 3 dgts)" stated in the manual. Not bad at all for such an inexpensive multimeter!

l0rd_hex, are you connecting the probe between the TEMP and COM terminals?

Anyone have issues with the temperature probe? Mine just cycles from 14C down to -105C and back to 14C again... I'm using a "CCL131200918" (a $25 special!).

[macboy]

This meter is on sale again for ~$30 CDN (regular $70). With the currently low $CDN, this is an especially attractive deal.

The manual ranging meter also mentioned in this thread is on for ~$20 (regular $60). I wouldn't recommend that one, it is only 1999 count (vs 6200), has limited capacitance measurement (20 uF vs 60000 uF), limited frequency measurement (20 kHz vs >50 MHz), and judging by the teardown posted in this thread, it is calibrated by several adjustment pots (i.e. calibration accuracy is poor and it will drift). The $30 meter is electronically calibrated (constants stored in an EEPROM) so it will drift much less. In my opinion, though the manual range meter is cheaper, it is not as good of a deal.

[l0rd_hex]

Bonus points if you buy it all in Canadian Tire 'Money'

[macboy]

Using information from the UNI-T UT210E thread, I made some modifications to my Mastercraft:

• Increased full-scale counts to 8000 count instead of 6000 (auto-range up at 8001, down at 750)
• Added 80.00 mV and 800.0 mV ranges for AC and DC volt (auto-ranging) (press Select to toggle AC/DC)
• Added ability to switch between AC and DC voltage measurement without changing the rotary switch (press Select to toggle AC/DC)
• Added ability to switch between degree C and F without changing the rotary switch (press Select to toggle C/F)
• Ability to change the auto-off and backlight timeout to suit the user.

Just the mV ranges themselves are a fantastic upgrade. The extra counts are a bonus. The AC/DC and C/F switching will come in handy I'm sure, since it's easier to press the Select button than to rotate the switch, which is generally a two-handed operation.

In order to add the mV range, I needed to "steal" the Ohms switch position. I moved the Ohms (and diode and continuity) measurements to the CAP switch position; you press Select to change to the desired function. I have mine set to the following sequence: Resistance -> Capacitance -> Diode -> Continuity -> (repeat)...

The mV range has a resolution of 10 microvolts, and and input impedance of >500M on DC (higher than the 11M or 10M input impedance for other ranges) and 10M on AC. It is surprisingly accurate and noise-free. The "normal" AC and DC functions also have a 800.0 mV range which is manually selectable with the range button (it won't auto-range down below 8.000 V range). That is different than the mV-specific ranges: it has a 10M input impedance and a few digits of noise (AC) or offset (DC) with a shorted input. The operator needs to use care with using the mV ranges, the input protection is not as good as in the other voltage ranges. In the higher voltage ranges, the input goes through a 10M resistor before seeing anything else. In the mV ranges, the input is set up the same as in the Ohm or Cap measurement functions. The overload protection is via a PTC and a pair of transistors designed to conduct beyond a certain voltage, causing the PTC to rise in resistance to help protect to meter. If you connect a high voltage, high energy input like AC mains to the input in mV (or Ohm or Cap) mode, be prepared to suffer the consequences of at best a damaged meter, and at worst... explosion and injury.

The counts are limited to 8000 due to the need for AC measurements to have extra headroom. It seems the chip's ADC works up to around 12000 counts or so. For DC, we could use 9999 counts, but if you tried to use that for AC, the waveform would clip (a 9.999 V_RMS sinusoid has a peak value around 14.141 V, beyond ADC full-scale), resulting in a displayed value less than actual. Setting the limit of 8000 counts gives enough headroom for accurate measurement of a sinusoidal signal. If the AC input signal has a higher crest factor, like a triangle wave, or noise, then one should consider manually ranging down, in order to ensure ADC headroom to capture the higher peaks. This is a limitation common to all sampling-type RMS AC meters. The original 6000 count full-scale resolution accounts for a crest factor of >2.0 at full-scale, which is quite good enough. The 8000 counts reduces the margin but is a compromise to gain extra resolution.

I was not able to add RS-232 output, as the required I/O pin is being used for something else.

I will post the technical details later, including how to customize your own meter if you don't like my way. All you need is a programmer that can read/write a 24C02 I2C EEPROM, and a suitable soldering equipment and skills to either remove/replace the SOIC package or solder fly-wires.

edit: corrected input impedance for DCmV

[Paul Moir]

 
The more I use this meter the more it's grown on me despite it's faults.  DC mV will be a very welcome addition!
 

[macboy]

Here are the technical details of the modifications that I described above.

The meter has a 24C02 EEPROM in SOIC package. This has 256 bytes of data which includes some configuration and some calibration data. I modified specific parts of the configuration without changing calibration data. It is important that you understand that you must read your EEPROM data, then modify only the specific bytes for these changes; the other data must remain intact. If you simply copy my EEPROM, you will ruin your calibration.

For the reason above I will not post a binary of my EEPROM, only an image of the changes to be made. Attached is a screen capture showing the data in my EEPROM with all changed bytes in RED.

Address 0x10,0x11 is the nominal full scale, changed to 8000 (0x1F40), note the byte swap for all two-byte data values.
Address 0x12,0x13 is the range-up value, changed to 8001 (0x1F41).
Address 0x14,0x15 is the range-down value, changed to 750 (0x02EE).
The rationale for choosing 8000 as full-scale is explained in the previous post.

Addresses 0x80-0xBF configure the various switch positions. There are 16 possible switch positions (not all are used for this meter), and 4 possible functions for each switch position. The switch positions are labeled in the attached image of the meter. The attached chart shows the data to place in a memory location to enable the associated function.

Note that 0x80, 0x90, 0xA0, 0xB0 control the four functions for switch position 0, so 0x81, 0x91, 0xA1, 0xB1 control the four functions for position 1, etc. On this meter, there are 11 switch positions (plus "OFF" which doesn't count). You can see that the "ACV" position is shown as "9" which means that the four memory locations for functions under that position are 0x89, 0x99, 0xA9, and 0xB9. Looking at the data dump, you can see 0x89=0x06 and 0x99=0x05. This means the first function is ACVmV and the second is DCVmV. 0xA9 and 0xB9 are zero which means no function. So setting the switch to "ACV" and pressing "Select" will toggle between the ACV and DCV measuring functions.

Address 0xFB is the automatic power off in minutes. 0xFC is the backlight off timer in seconds. Set either to zero to disable.

To facilitate easy repeated modifications, I removed the EEPROM, then attached a DIP socket to the pads with short lead wires. I soldered another 24C02 EEPROM into a SOIC-to-DIP adapter board, so that I can easily remove it to program it in the TL866, then place it back in the socket.

[Paul Moir]

Ah, I finally got a chance to start playing with it today.  I enabled the 8000 count thank you very much, and played around a bit with the range switch.  Something I really like in a multimeter is separate diode and continuity settings rather than the select button.  Since I only rarely use the cap or frequency settings I hijacked them.  The frequency setting has an inherent duty cycle secondary function which causes an interesting fault: once you switch into it you cannot switch out.  You're stuck switching between frequency and duty cycle until you change the rotary switch.   

I made the degF position the DCmV/ACmV position.  At first I thought this was a mistake since it makes you use the mA/uA jack instead of the V jack, since the thermocouple adapter fits there.  But in retrospect, I think I like it that way.  It reminds me that the mV range isn't as well protected and also the probe will likely not be there when high voltages are present.

Trying to make the DCmV position a secondary function of DC or ACmV secondary to AC gets you a ErrE error.

I played around a bit with the RS-232 but I couldn't get it to enable.  Like you (macboy) said, the pin is being used for the incorrect jack warning.  I had hoped that could be at least disabled when using data out, or even better mapped to one of the LEDs.

[macboy]

Ah, I finally got a chance to start playing with it today.  I enabled the 8000 count thank you very much, and played around a bit with the range switch.  Something I really like in a multimeter is separate diode and continuity settings rather than the select button.  Since I only rarely use the cap or frequency settings I hijacked them.  The frequency setting has an inherent duty cycle secondary function which causes an interesting fault: once you switch into it you cannot switch out.  You're stuck switching between frequency and duty cycle until you change the rotary switch.   

I made the degF position the DCmV/ACmV position.  At first I thought this was a mistake since it makes you use the mA/uA jack instead of the V jack, since the thermocouple adapter fits there.  But in retrospect, I think I like it that way.  It reminds me that the mV range isn't as well protected and also the probe will likely not be there when high voltages are present.

Interesting.

Trying to make the DCmV position a secondary function of DC or ACmV secondary to AC gets you a ErrE error.

Yes, it won't work because the required internal connections are not the same at all. There are DCV and ACV functions that have a mV range (and alternate DCV and ACV functions that do not). These are not the same as the strict mV function which is high input impedance.

I played around a bit with the RS-232 but I couldn't get it to enable.  Like you (macboy) said, the pin is being used for the incorrect jack warning.  I had hoped that could be at least disabled when using data out, or even better mapped to one of the LEDs.

No hope for RS-232 I think. Oh well.

You can't arbitrarily assign functions to different rotary switch positions. The rotary switch does indeed change some internal connections required for different types of measurements. The Cap function can't be put onto the Hz/Duty switch positions (not if you expect it to work anyway) since the internal connections are not the same. The Cap, Resistance, Continuity, Diode, and mV functions use the same internal connections which is why I hijacked the Ohms position for mV on my meter. I moved the Ohms (and other) functions to the Cap switch position. The Hz/Duty has unique connections and can't do anything else. The connections required for each function are detailed in table 11.3 on page 11, and if you look at the example schematics you can see those connections in the circuit.

Interestingly, both Volts and Amps measurements use the same connections (all connections open) so it may be possible to put V and A measurements on the same switch position. You could wire up the meter to measure both A and V since they use different terminals and switch between them at the push of a button. That could be useful.

[Paul Moir]

Ah, that must be the original Chinese datasheet.   I've only been looking at Kenny Wong's translation.  I'm having some software issues with it going all grey when I mouse over it.  Ah Flash, when will you finally die?  Ignorantly clicking random links on a Chinese website hasn't gotten me very far, but it has been entertaining!

I tried out putting voltage on the current ranges and that works just fine, except as expected the meter howls at you for having a probe in the wrong jack.  But it's a simple matter to back the probes out a hair or just use unshrouded probes for this very handy function.  It's definitely going into my meter; I'm just sitting on the fence about deleting the AC ranges for mA and uA to make it even more handy.

Oh, the "halo" described by HammerJoe way back is caused by residual stresses in the plastic cover from when they molded it.  You can use polarized light and filters to visualize them.  The polarized light from a LCD monitor is a handy source, and naturally there's a filter on the multimeter's LCD screen.

[julian1]

I agree with Dave that the sweet spot is to own 4 DMMs, so you can measure current and voltage in and out of your circuit all at the same time.

I'm wondering if a 34970A with the multiplexor option wouldn't be a simpler strategy?

[user99]

I saw Crappy Tire put them back on sale so I grabbed one.  Another happy customer, hard to beat for $30.   
It's spot on according to my 3478a in the volt ranges. 

Now to read up on the calibration.  I added the mV ranges to the TempF switch but both AC and DC mv range is out about 1mV. 

Thanks for the tutorial!   

[mstoer]

I picked up one of these as well.  I have 3 hand held meters now and one benchtop.    My first meter (bought around 20 years ago) is a Wavetek DM16XL   it cost around $140 at the time and this Mastercraft puts it to shame for only $30.  Not only that, it runs on 2 AAA NiH rechargeables, so no more running around for 9V batteries. 

Marcell

[SkyMaster]

Canadian Tire could sell quality DMM and still make a profit, but Canadian Tire decided to sell bottom of the barrel quality DMM in order to make even more profit.

You should actually try one before condemning it.  ...

So I did buy one, several months ago.

Bonus points if you buy it all in Canadian Tire 'Money'

And I paid it all with Canadian Tire Money. The DMM 052-0052-2 was on sale at 60% off.

I returned it for exchange, as the first one I bought had a crack in one of the plastic tubes that are over the banana jack. The second one had a crooked display, but this was fixed by re-positioning the display LCD.

The test leads are not pretty. But I have to admit that for $30 CAD plus sale taxes; this is a very good buy.


Canadian Tire now also sell the "Mastercraft 5-in-1 Digital Multimeter" 052-1899-2. The particularity of this DMM is that it also measure sound level, illumination, and humidity. Regular price is $80 CAD. This multimeter appears to be identical to the All-Sun EM5510.

 

[Regis]

I bought this multimeter in 60% off sale as SkyMaster.

However, the k-type thermocouple cannot be found anywhere. It is discontinued.

I'm a newbie in multimeter. Can I buy any k-type themocouple for this multimeter?

[jesuscf]

I bought this multimeter in 60% off sale as SkyMaster.

However, the k-type thermocouple cannot be found anywhere. It is discontinued.

I'm a newbie in multimeter. Can I buy any k-type themocouple for this multimeter?

Yes, but...  Check

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/canadian-tire-mastercraft-dmm-new-and-old-revision-teardown/msg876419/#msg876419

The only catch is that the multimeter is not designed to accept the standard k-type thermocouple connector.  This can be easily solved with a couple of inexpensive standard banana plugs.

[SkyMaster]

I bought this multimeter in 60% off sale as SkyMaster.

However, the k-type thermocouple cannot be found anywhere. It is discontinued.

I'm a newbie in multimeter. Can I buy any k-type themocouple for this multimeter?

Hi Regis,

Any type-K thermocouple should work.

But there is a small issue; on the 052-0052-3 DMM, the spacing between banana jacks are not 0.75 inch. Most thermocouple (for DMM) come with banana plugs with a 0.75 inch spacing. You may need to find a type-k thermocouple with individual banana plugs.

 

[The_Dsigner]

Just saw Canadian Tire added another meter to their lineup but in the Maximum line.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/maximum-digital-multimeter-with-true-rms-0521898p.html#srp

[SkyMaster]

Just saw Canadian Tire added another meter to their lineup but in the Maximum line.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/maximum-digital-multimeter-with-true-rms-0521898p.html#srp

This newly introduced DMM #052-1898-4 seems to be a slightly modified Mastech MS8250D; except for the Function and Back-light buttons and small differences with the rubber holster, this look like a Mastech MS8250D

Mastech MS8250D - http://www.p-mastech.com/product/detail/355

The_Dsigner, your assignation for this week, is to find out if this new Canadian Tire DMM has a two lines LCD display and a USB interface.

 

[Tachyon]

Having recently bought the latest iteration of this DMM ( 052-055-6 ), I was happy to stumble across this thread. If this hard hitting, no quarter given crew can let this thing off as easy as they have here, I'll be more than happy with it. Given there are a lot of us hobbyists that don't need and or don't want to spend on brand names like Fluke, it's a big deal to find something that meets the "good enough" standard that is all we need.

I got mine on one of the sales mentioned too for like $25 CAD and am very happy with it so far. I wanted to just put in my two cents regarding the latest iteration of this device. One thing that impresses me is that it appears they've listened to the feedback and made some positive changes based on the more common complaints. For example, the battery compartment is improved and has much better fit and finish, no longer seeming like they hacked in a AA box into a 9v compartment feel. Also, the backlight is now on it's own button from the data hold so that button dance has been eliminated.
Overall, the fit and finish and general quality of this device is better than 9 out of 10 of the non-professional DMM's I've owned. The exception being an older Radio Shack DMM I've had for years that has a nicer fit and finish, but is definitely a bench model and not up to any sort of rugged field use. This Mastercraft model sits in between. Sure, it wouldn't likely last iong used hard in the field every day, but I'm certainly not afraid to take it out of the house/shop either. The leads are decent and flexible in the cold. The LED indicator for the plug ins is a nice touch. The display is large and very readable and the backlight is bright. The range of features is more than most non professionals will ever need and certainly more features than I could ever afford to replicate with an equivalent Fluke model. Most importantly the testing I've seen puts it in the "more than good enough" category accuracy wise and that's the most important thing IMO anyway.

Frankly it seems like the killer bang for the buck option for hobbyists and non professionals and even as a secondary device for pros that have Flukes with only basic feature sets that they occasionally need to supplement.

[Silveruser]

Just a note, meters are again on sale for the next week.  I picked up one of the newer ones with light meter, RH meter, sound meter. I'll try and start a new theard with pictures soon.

George

[macboy]

The "052-0052-2" model number has been recycled yet again. I had noticed perhaps a month ago that stock of this multimeter quickly disappeared from shelves shortly after the most recent sale. Now we now why, they've replaced it. This new third model has similar specs, but looks completely different yet again. Without testing one in-hand it is impossible to say what the real specs and features really are; as noted here, the specs for the 2nd model were completely wrong (reused from the first model). They still are re-using the same specs including note of a "transistor test" which only the 1st model had, the 2nd and now 3rd models don't. The display is now significantly smaller, which is really too bad, as the large-digit display of the 2nd model was a great feature.

Link:
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/autoranging-digital-multimeter-0520052p.html

[jesuscf]

I saw this new multimeter on sale yesterday. Two thing I didn't like off the bat compared to the 'previous' model: no DC current and no temperature.

The "052-0052-2" model number has been recycled yet again. I had noticed perhaps a month ago that stock of this multimeter quickly disappeared from shelves shortly after the most recent sale. Now we now why, they've replaced it. This new third model has similar specs, but looks completely different yet again. Without testing one in-hand it is impossible to say what the real specs and features really are; as noted here, the specs for the 2nd model were completely wrong (reused from the first model). They still are re-using the same specs including note of a "transistor test" which only the 1st model had, the 2nd and now 3rd models don't. The display is now significantly smaller, which is really too bad, as the large-digit display of the 2nd model was a great feature.

[SeanB]

They got a new container load or three back in stock, and keeping the same SKU makes it easier for the shops inventory wise, as they probably only cost under $1 each when shipped.

[retiredcaps]

Two thing I didn't like off the bat compared to the 'previous' model: no DC current and no temperature.

The picture of the latest version has DC current mode.

[jesuscf]

Two thing I didn't like off the bat compared to the 'previous' model: no DC current and no temperature.

The picture of the latest version has DC current mode.

Ooops!  You are right: it has DC current mode.  I need new glasses...

[SkyMaster]

Two thing I didn't like off the bat compared to the 'previous' model: no DC current and no temperature.

The picture of the latest version has DC current mode.

Ooops!  You are right: it has DC current mode.  I need new glasses...

But the combined input jack for mA, uA and everything else; this is really a step back. Especially when the previous version had "input jack alert" when the lead was inserted in the wrong jack.